mind mirror

sword

Ben:  “Let go of your conscious self and act on instinct.”

Luke: “How am I suppose to fight?  I can’t see!”

Ben:  “Your eyes can deceive you.  Don’t trust them.”

 

Inner space

If we spend time only working with our rational mind, then we are only ever likely to get half of the story.  If we want to truly nurture our own personal growth, then we need to connect to our inner self – our subconscious mind to get what Paul Harvey used to say, “The rest of the story.�

Connecting with our subconscious mind requires us to use our imagination – like being a kid again, when we play with our imagination, we leave behind the narrow rational, intellectual side of our mind.  And instead, we connect into an expanded state of awareness.

In this place, we can tap into the power of the universal wisdom and learn from the experiences stored in what the great Swiss psychologist Carl Jung called the collective unconscious.  This universal wisdom can help guide us along our path of personal growth and spiritual connectedness.  

One of the ways we can begin to explore our subconscious mind is through the use the mandala.

shine 

What is a mandala?

Because we do not have a direct view into the subconscious mind, we have to use a mirror to reflect the activity happening within.  The mandala is such a mirror.  Through the mandala we can see the images and symbols that are at play in our subconscious mind and that may be having a direct effect on our conscious self through our thoughts and behaviours.  

The word mandala is Sanskirt for circle.  The circle has always had a very profound effect on our psyche.  It is a power symbol and accepted across many cultures as a symbol for life.  One only has to glance up into the sky and gaze upon the nurturing light of the sun or the reflective nature of the moon to see the most direct evidence of its universality. The circle, according to Jung, is also a symbol of the Self, and represents the centre of the total personality.

Mandalas are usually created by drawing a circle to represent the self, and then populating the inside of the circle with shapes, colours and images using coloured pencils, pens, crayons, or any medium one is comfortable working in.  The object is to draw without thinking and let oneself be guided by an intuitive whim.
 
The act of drawing a mandala creates a harmonious relationship between the mind, body and spirit by incorporating the body through the mechanical act of drawing, the mind through the mental patterns that are reflected inside the circle and the spirit through the choice of colour that reflects our feelings.

shaman

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